Synchro Stars' diamond-themed performance sparkles to third place

Dracut residents and founding members of Synchro Skaters Hannah Goldthwait and Amanda Gedrich skating with their Intermediate team at Eastern Synchronized Skating Sectionals in Ft. Myers, Florida. COURTESY PHOTO

DRACUT -- Two months ago, Amanda Gedrich found herself in Connecticut, preparing to step onto an ice rink with her fellow Synchro Stars.

Dressed in Tiffany blue outfits, the members of the New Hampshire-based synchronized skating organization were ready to give their all at the Connecticut Classic Synchronized Skating Competition.

Amanda, who has suffered a few health issues in recent months, knew this would be her last competition as a Synchro Star. The Dracut High School junior just hadn't told her teammates at that point.

"It was very emotional for me because I've been with the team for almost 10 years now and it's just a huge part of my life," Amanda, 17, said from her family's kitchen on Wednesday afternoon.

Amanda Gedrich of Dracut, who's been a member of the Synchro Stars team, holds a team photo from a recent competition, her last. SUN/Julia Malakie

"I didn't know how I was going to say goodbye 'cause they just mean that much to me."

Synchronized skating is a sport in which 8-20 skaters perform, as a unit, a choreographed program. Gedrich and the other members of the Synchro Stars who competed in Connecticut a few months ago ended up placing third for their diamond-themed performance.

Passion for the sport -- and the deep camaraderie between members -- is what keeps the members of Synchro Stars pushing themselves and each other.

"I like the team aspect of it. We all just grow so close to each other," Amanda said. "They're like my second family."

For Marina Mousis, a member of the Synchro Stars' open juvenile team which placed fourth at the Connecticut Classic Synchronized Skating Competition, it's all about the strength of her team and how they care about one another.

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"I know some of these girls for almost five years and they've really been there for me when I need it," Marina, also of Dracut, said. "I like how when you meet a friend, they're there for you and how you are as one as you're skating."

Marina, 12, said the coaches also play a really big part in fostering closeness among team members.

Marina's father, John Mousis, said, "it's nice to see young girls get together like that, and just help and support one another and try to compete at a really high level.

Synchro Skills 2 team at a year-end exhibition at St. Anselm College in New Hampshire. COURTESY PHOTO

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Symantha Gates, one of the Synchro Stars' parent volunteers, has seen the skaters practice intensely.

"You see how they start out with a basic version of their program and the coaches start to add things to it," Gates said. "It becomes quite sophisticated by the end of the season and it's hard not to see how exciting that is."

Hannah Goldthwaith, a Dracut resident who along with Amanda was a founding member of Synchro Stars, said she could not imagine her life without being a part of the organization.

"It is great to be part of a team because I get to perform and compete with others," she wrote in an email Thursday. "I always have to skate my best since the whole team is affected by how well each skater does.

Synchronized skater Amanda Gedrich of Dracut, a founding member of the Synchro Stars, has skated her final competition with the team. ]SUN/Julia Malakie

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Back in the Gedrich home, Amanda walked over to her pale pink room adorned with string lights. On her dresser is a shrine to synchronized skating -- medals she has won over the years and photos of Amanda with her fellow Synchro Stars.

Though she will no longer be with Synchro Skaters, Amanda said she plans on continuing to build her skills. She wants to pass her novice test and has been working for a while on preparing for her juvenile freestyle. When she enters college, she plans to try out for teams. In the future, Amanda shared, she'd like to coach a team.

"I have all those girls to go to if I need something," she said of her teammates. "They're my best friends and I just love having them with me.

The Synchro Stars Open Juvenile Team skates its way to a third-place finish at the Connecticut Classic Synchronized Skating Competition two months ago. COURTESY PHOTO

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